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Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition doesn’t change the game a whole lot. Which is pretty much what we expected, although it is still fun and entertaining. If you want a mindless bloody, expletive filled game that is great when you are tired of Call Of Duty or sports titles, than this is the game for you.
The implementation of water guns on the surface in Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash may make you think that this is a Splatoon style ripoff, but the combat is far from that. Instead of territory based missions, the gameplay actually feels like traditional Senran Kagura mixed with water guns, which fits right with the other the top nature of the series we’ve come to expect in Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War plays to the strength of its predecessor by doubling down on the Nemesis System. In a lot of ways, this works in the game’s favor. Creating rivalries and forced companionship out of the wildly eccentric hordes under Sauron is an absolute joy. Whether Talion is attacking strongholds or defending his own, these personalities punctuate the action. The height of this achievement quickly reveals the areas of Shadow of War that have fallen short, such as the narrative that dips into a monotonous grind and the overly cluttered systems present in the menus. Still, Shadow of War‘s attention builds itself around the Nemesis backbone and it succeeds more than it fails by doing so for the majority of this adventure.
While definitely a bit of a letdown after how good the first game was, there is still plenty to enjoy in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2. The best part is unlocking the more obscure characters that really dive into the long history of Marvel, giving you plenty to do alongside the enjoyable main story as long as glitches don’t get in the way.
Need For Speed Payback is a step in the right direction in some departments, but a few poor choices where it counts sets the game back overall. If you are looking for an adequate solo affair and don't mind grinding for speed cards to upgrade all the vehicles in your stable, than it is possible to find something worthwhile hidden behind Payback's misguided structure. If thrilling online races and roaming with friends in endlessly customizable cars is more your style, you are better off looking elsewhere.
Hob is Runic Games’ first, and only, departure from Torchlight. And by most accounts it is a success. Hob packs so much personality into its world despite never uttering a word, letting every carefully placed object and interaction speak for itself. The game loses itself in moments where its camera works against its own goals and the ease with which a player can become lost before grasping the layout. However, the competent combat and engaging puzzle solving save Hob and make it a notable platformer to lose yourself in.
It was a very good idea to try and do something new with Doom VFR instead of just porting Doom 2016 straight to VR platforms. While it’s not as good as it’s regular counterpart, seeing the familiar and classic areas alike in full VR is a great experience, even if it can be greatly hindered at times by its controls.
For those that really enjoyed a return to the SNES era of RPGs with I Am Setsuna, Lost Sphear will be right up your alley. There aren’t too many things that feel incredibly innovative, but the sense of nostalgia and solid game mechanics make Lost Sphear at least worth checking out once it gets a price drop.
Verdict If you have played Job Simulator and had a thought of what would it be like if renegade fruit started attacking while you did your tasks, Shooty Fruity might be right up your alley. As long as you go into Shooty Fruity with an open mind, you should have a pretty good time.
Those who were hoping to see a full fledged sequel with tons of new features in Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Hacker’s Memory are likely going to be disappointed, though it’s hard to complain when we get more of what was already a very fun game. The classic style combat is still solid and the large roster of Digimon to obtain and raise is just as fun in Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Hacker’s Memory, but just make sure you temper your expectations going in.
Crossing Souls is teeming with personality, even if it all isn’t originally its own. It expertly weaves the nostalgic tones of 80s media, covering its lesser parts to an extent. The crew may not be as lively as the environments they find themselves in, but utilizing them for general platforming and combat is enjoyable enough. Crossing Souls will no doubt pique the interest of those currently enveloped in this re-emerging stylized culture.
While you typically knew what to expect from a new Sword Art Online game in the past, Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet turns that idea on its head with a completely different third person shooter experience. It certainly is nowhere near the best RPG out there right now, but getting to jump into the world of Gun Gale Online this time around makes Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet well worth it for fans of the series.
For anybody looking for the next grand scale RPG on the market, The Alliance Alive really isn't going to be that. Those looking for yet another fun little adventure focused on characters though will likely find plenty of hours of enjoyment out of The Alliance Alive.
Featuring largely familiar combat and a mostly lighthearted story, people know by now what they are getting into with the Atelier series and that is really no different with Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings.
Battlefield V is very much a work in progress. The core experience is thrilling and comes together beautifully with the right players. It’s a multiplayer offering that DICE could no doubt expand upon in the coming months with meaningful updates to put it more in line with community expectations. Once the balancing issues and technical problems become a thing of the past, Battlefield V will stand as one of the most engaging multiplayer experiences on the market.
Metro Exodus emerges from the underground to explore a world far more colorful than the Moscow railways. Exodus does a fine job of injecting larger spaces with familiar gameplay, even if the two don’t always compliment each other. The refocused survival aspects are welcome additions and add to the hopelessness of the post-apocalyptic setting. The game goes off the rails a bit due to abundant technical issues and restrictive movement that reveal the lack of AAA polish. Even with its lesser parts, Metro Exodus takes the franchise forward with an experience worth seeing through to the end.
Far Cry New Dawn hardly reinvents its core formula, for better or worse. The expected bits are all there, peppered with a few low-impact RPG elements. This isn’t an evolution of the franchise, but rather a more favorable pairing of gameplay and setting than past releases. New Dawn sure feels familiar, but it definitely knows how to have a good time.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance strips away the fantasy from RPG and replaces it with something infinitely more dirty and relatable. This is one role-playing experience that is spilling over with ambition at every turn, even if it gets in its own way from time to time. The hardcore, survivalist, tactical players out there will likely have a field day with everything on offer in spite of the flaws present, while the rest may find themselves turned away by the cumbersome systems connecting it all.
Wulverblade is a solid beat ’em up arcade title that is beautifully wrapped in pleasing aesthetics. It covers a well-trodden path seen in numerous games before, but it manages to deliver an experience that is still its own. The combat is satisfying, especially in terms of sound, but it is held back from being a more rewarding experience due to limiting control factors. Furthermore, the entertaining cooperative play completely forgoes online connectivity, meaning two people will have to play on one machine. Still, hindrances and all, there’s something enjoyable about Wulverblade’s loop that helps carry it through the somewhat short campaign.
The Danganronpa series may have seemed a bit daunting in the past due to its RPG gameplay, but now Spike Chunsoft has created a solid gateway game with Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls. Featuring various bullet types from those that cause enemies to dance or those that knock them back, there is plenty of fun to be had here in this often very creepy game.